Bekenstein
For canon information, see the Mass Effect wiki page for Bekenstein. Bekenstein is the second planet of the Boltzmann system (Serpent Nebula), and one of the Systems Alliance's first wave of post-contact colonies. Founded in 2158 CE as a commercial manufacturing hub, this strategy met with limited success once the novelty of human goods wore off with non-human buyers. The planet's fortunes improved when its business community turned its focus to high-quality luxury goods, exported via Citadel trade routes, and it once boasted the highest proportion of millionaires and billionaires (per head of its 5.4-million population) of any human colony. Conversely, the planet's high inflation and ruthless business community were unforgiving on the less fortunate of the population; those who didn't emigrate to other worlds often found themselves sorely neglected by their more successful fellow citizens. Milgrom Milgrom was the planetary capital, and largest population centre. Geography *The Badlands, seen in the above picture, border Milgrom at the south and east, and were home to a number of estates which were among the most expensive on the planet. They stretch for several dozen square kilometers south before evening out into flats again. Businesses *The Pterion, a multi-cuisine restaurant run by chef Rosto Dallen, formerly a mess sergeant in the Turian Hierarchy armed forces, and his bondmate Nelana T'horrex. *Triton & West Dynamics, a major electronics corporation founded in 2159 by Valeria Triton and Harrison West, with interests in advanced R&D and weaponry (some of which was very much away from the public eye). Orbit Bekenstein was home to a number of satellites, most of which were private facilities run by planetside businesses. While the functions of each station varied, most were either off-world manufacturing plants, or lab facilities. Notable stations included Libra, belonging to Triton & West Dynamics, known for being a multi-field research station. See Also: Entropy-class Babied Bastards of Bekenstein: Those members of Eclipse who operated on-planet. History Bekenstein was represented in the Systems Alliance parliament by Matthew Auberger, a member of the Terra Firma party. Auberger, also a member of the Foreign Affairs committee, questioned the loyalty of Elysium's representative Jeffords Pallone following the man's engagement to Glada T'Dami, an asari. Bekenstein's colonies were destroyed by Repear bombardment during the Reaper War. Of the population that was on-planet during the bombardment, the estimated casualty rate varies dependent on multiple factors and variables but generally the numbers float at around 2% of the population surviving. This puts surviving Bekensteinians at around 100,000 in number. There was always some kind of a desire to rebuild. Bekenstein was one of the Alliance’s most successful and famous colonies. That being said, the success and notoriety also came from Bekenstein’s convenient proximity to the Citadel, which it now lacked, the station having been relocated to Sol. Many were even unsure if there was a working relay to the Serpent Nebula anymore. Furthermore, since almost all of the manufacturing base was destroyed, there was little worthwhile about Bekenstein other than a sense of pride and the belief that humans could do it again. Most surviving Bekensteinians, as of this time, were on Earth or the Citadel. Pride, it must be noted, was just as damning for Bekenstein as it was a possible salvation. A lot of the surviving families lost the majority of their capital when the Reapers came. In the words of one survivor, “I’m talking ‘jump from the window because its over’ loss of Capital”. Even off-planet accounts don’t hold up well when you have no collateral or physical assets left. Natives Mason Barnette Sarah Thompson Relevant Threads Some history, and a post detailing the bombardment. Brick and Mortar: Raising awareness of the reconstruction cause; Mason Barnette invites CDN to a high-class social function on the Citadel. Category:Locations Category:Systems Alliance